Bakary Samake and Ermal Hadribeaj Finally Meet in Oberhausen After Paris Collapse

Sometimes fights get delayed and quietly disappear. This one didn’t.

Bakary Samake and Ermal Hadribeaj were originally set to clash in Paris last month before the entire Lawrence Okolie vs Tony Yoka event collapsed. Now the unbeaten super welterweights finally get their chance on Saturday night in Oberhausen, Germany, topping an Arena Box-Promotion card packed with regional title fights and unbeaten prospects.

There’s genuine pressure attached to this main event too. Samake has openly spoken about a world title shot being within reach if he gets through Hadribeaj, while the unbeaten Albanian-American has spent years quietly grinding his way up the WBC ladder.

Main Event

Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1) vs Bakary Samake (19-0-0) – Super Welterweight, 12 Rounds

The build-up to this fight has probably ended up tougher than either camp expected.

After the Paris cancellation, Arena Box won the purse bid to bring the fight to Germany instead, which completely changed the atmosphere around it. Samake admitted he was disappointed French fans lost the chance to see the fight at home, but the unbeaten 22-year-old sounds convinced this is his moment regardless of location.

He’s carrying serious confidence into the bout too.

Samake reportedly spent five weeks training in Las Vegas and sparred heavily during camp. More importantly, he doesn’t seem remotely intimidated by Hadribeaj’s unbeaten record or pressure style. He’s already described the Albanian-American as more aggressive than technical and even suggested he doesn’t think Hadribeaj can last six rounds with him.

That’s bold talk considering Hadribeaj has built his career on dragging opponents into uncomfortable fights.

The 32-year-old southpaw might not have the same hype around him as Samake, but at 22-0-1 he’s experienced, awkward and persistent. He’s spent years collecting WBC regional success and forcing his way up the rankings the hard way. Fighters like him are dangerous because they don’t arrive expecting to lose just because the younger prospect is getting the headlines.

Honestly, this feels like one of those eliminators where somebody’s momentum takes a serious hit. That usually produces better fights than polished matchmaking ever does.

Co-Main / Key Fights

Badien Hasso (22-0-0) faces Victor Vicente Correa Ramos (11-0-0) for the vacant WBC International Light Heavyweight title over 10 rounds.

It’s another unbeaten-vs-unbeaten matchup and arguably the most evenly matched fight on the card outside the main event. Hasso has more professional experience, but Correa Ramos arrives undefeated and dangerous.

Mourad Aliev (14-1-0) meets Raphael Akpejiori (19-2-0) for the WBC International Silver Heavyweight title.

This one could get messy in a hurry. Akpejiori is always dangerous because of his power, while Aliev badly needs a strong performance after suffering the first loss of his career.

Other Title Fights

Muhamet Qamili (17-1-1) takes on Alessangel Mayora (18-1-0) for the WBC International Silver Super Featherweight title in what looks like a competitive eight-round matchup between two fighters with solid records.

Luis Vela (6-0-0) steps up against Oussama Kebdani (10-1-0) for the WBC International Super Lightweight title. Vela is still early in his career, so this feels like a real test of how quickly his team think he can move.

Non-Title Undercard

Ahmed Krnjic (7-1-0) returns in heavyweight action against Bojan Cestic (4-17-0) over six rounds.

Konstantinos Plateias (2-0-0) continues his professional development against experienced heavyweight Yonny Molina (15-15-1).

Sarhad Nouzad (11-1-0) meets durable veteran Robin Zamora (22-50-0) in a six-round super middleweight contest.

Luka Pratljacic (1-0-0) is also scheduled for six rounds at middleweight.

Closing

The cancelled Paris card could easily have killed the momentum for Samake vs Hadribeaj, but instead it’s added a bit more edge to the fight. Samake sounds convinced he’s ready for world level. Hadribeaj probably thinks the younger man is overlooking him. That’s usually a good recipe for an entertaining night.